Coreopsis plant named &#39;Strawberry Lemonade&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Strawberry Lemonade’ characterized by yellow foliage, red purple flowers, and a dwarf habit.

Cross reference to: co-pending applications for Coreopsis ‘PinkLemonade’ (U.S. application Ser. No. ______, filed ______) and ‘CherryLemonade’ (U.S. application Ser. No. ______,filed ______).

Botanical designation: Coreopsis hybrid (parents unknown)

Variety denomination: ‘Strawberry Lemonade’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct plant of Coreopsisand given the cultivar name ‘Strawberry Lemonade’. Coreopsis is in thefamily Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from offspring locatedat Terra Nova Nurseries in Canby, Oreg. and reproduced in tissue culturewhere further selections were made. This selection was made for itscherry red flowers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Strawberry Lemonade’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Strawberry Lemonade’ as anew and distinct cultivar:

1. Golden yellow foliage.

2. Red purple daisy type flowers.

3. Dwarf mounding habit.

4. Very free flowering.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The photograph shows a one year old Coreopsis ‘Strawberry Lemonade’growing in the ground in the garden in August in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivarbased on observations of a one-year-old specimen grown in the ground infull sun under typical outdoor conditions in the garden in August inCanby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperaturesrange from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. inJanuary. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The colordescriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 9-10.        -   Size.—40 cm wide and 25 cm tall to top of flowers.        -   Form.—Low mound with freely branching stems.        -   Vigor.—Good.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine and White 155A in            color. Roots develop easily from cuttings.-   Stem:    -   -   Type.—Ascending.        -   Size.—20 cm tall and 1 to 2 mm wide.        -   Internode length.—12 to 30 mm.        -   Surface.—Glabrous.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 146C.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Linear.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Length.—25 to 40 mm, sessile.        -   Width.—1 to 2 mm.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous, soft and smooth to the touch.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Top side — Yellow, Yellow 10A with a green main vein            Yellow Green 146C to Yellow Green 146A where shaded — Bottom            — same as top side.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Long stalked terminal heads of daisy type flowers.        -   Peduncle.—7 cm tall and 1 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow 10A to            Yellow Green 146C where shaded.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.        -   Size.—2.5 to 3.5 cm wide and 8 mm deep.        -   Ray petals.—Number — 8 — Shape: Obovate with the tip three            lobed with lobes obtuse and the central lobe the longest,            base attenuate, margins entire — Size: Grows to 17 mm long,            8 mm wide — Surface texture: Glabrous, soft and velvety to            the touch — Color: Ray flower, topside — Between Greyed            Purple 187B and Red Purple 71A — Ray, bottom side — Closest            to Purple 71A, but duller.        -   Cone.—Shape: Conic, deeper with maturity — Size: 7 mm wide            and becoming 5 mm deep with maturity — Color: Brown 200B            when in bud, opening to orange, Orange 24A with a dark            background, Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Disc flowers.—5 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular, 4 lobed,            Greyed Purple 187A at the apex to Orange 24A in middle and            Yellow Orange 20B near base.        -   Pistil.—6 mm long, Orange 24A overall, extruding, 2-branched            stigma, ovary 1.5 mm long, style 4 mm long.        -   Stamen.—4, filaments 3 mm long, extruding, Black 202A.        -   Pollen color.—Yellow 12C.        -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Light, daisy like.-   Seed: None produced.    -   -   Fertility.—Infertile.-   Disease and pests: Coreopsis are susceptible to mildew and fungal    spots. None of these have been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.

COMPARISONS TO SIMILAR COREOPSIS

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’ (US Plant Patent Application No.20030066114), this new cultivar has the same flower size. It isdifferent in its yellow foliage, dwarf habit and red purple flowercolor.

1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant named ‘Strawberry Lemonade’ asherein illustrated and described.